EV charging station companies: choose the best option for you

President Joe Biden signed an executive order during 2021 to encourage the manufacture and adoption of electric vehicles in the US. He also stated that by 2030, the target is that the majority of vehicles sold will be zero-emission. In this sense, EV charging station companies are also pushing for this change.

Ref – Pixabay

Electric vehicles still represent a small slice of the automotive market worldwide, but their growth has been remarkable during the last few years. According to the International Energy Agency, EV sales went from 2.5% in 2019 to nearly 9% during 2021. The more electric vehicles sold, the more chargers needed. That’s when EV charging stations companies come into the picture.

Okay… but what’s an EV charger?

If you’re planning on switching from a regular gas-powered vehicle to an electric one, you’d probably already wondered if recharging its battery is easy. Getting a regular car fueled can be simple, but charging an EV can require a bit more planning. Don’t worry, EV charging station companies are installing more stations every year to contribute.

Whether you already drive an electric vehicle or you’re planning to buy one soon, you’ll need EV charging stations companies to continue installing chargers in different locations since electric vehicles need to be plugged in to keep functioning.

There are three different types of EV chargers on the market. Depending on the vehicle, it will accept different quantities of power and it will take a variable amount of time to get it fully recharged. An EV charger with a higher level of charging will get an electric vehicle’s battery filled up in less time.

Ref – Pixabay

These are the types of chargers and their characteristics

• Level 1. These are the most common chargers and the ones that come with almost every EV bought. They use a 120-V household outlet and can be plugged into a regular wall outlet.

It is the slowest charger since it adds 3-5 miles of range per hour and will take about 24 hours to completely charge a regular EV battery.

• Level 2. They are the most common EV chargers found in public stations. They use 208 to 240-V and can fill up a battery at a range of 12 to 80 miles per hour. That will depend on the power output and how much energy the vehicle can accept.

They can be installed both in residential areas and on public stations.

• Level 3. Also known as DCFC (direct current fast chargers), use 400 to 900-V and are the fastest on the market. They charge a regular EV with 3 to 20 miles per minute, taking less than 60 minutes to get it to its 100%.

As they’re big and pricey, DCFCs are frequently seen on public stations, but not in residential areas.

The best EV charging station companies

EV charging companies keep expanding and offering drivers different types of solutions and benefits.

Amongst the best ones, we find the following ones:

• ChargePoint. They’ve got a worldwide presence with about 35.000 charging stations installed across many countries.

They offer an app to search for the nearest EV charger.

• EVCS. They own the majority of the EV charging stations across the West Coast Electric Highway.

Besides that, they also offer a mobile app to look up the nearest charger and a subscription plan for a monthly flat fee.

• EV go: It’s a company that offers solutions for public EV charging stations. They also own an app to discover chargers on-the-go.

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As electric vehicle sales increase, so do charging stations. Knowing which charger is most convenient for your vehicle and being sure to find the nearest one is important.

In terms of paying, choose the one that works best for you, whether it is a pay-as-you-charge method or a subscription plan. There are companies that offer charging methods to suit all preferences.